Gary Carter vs Darrell Porter: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Carter has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Gary Carter played 1974–1992 as a hitter; Darrell Porter played 1971–1987 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Gary Carter (1974–1992) and Darrell Porter (1971–1987) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Gary Carter finished with 2,092 hits and 324 home runs; Darrell Porter finished with 1,369 hits and 188 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gary Carter, with 324 to Darrell Porter's 188.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gary Carter, with .773 to Darrell Porter's .763.
- Who had the higher batting average? Gary Carter, with .262 to Darrell Porter's .247.
- Who had more hits? Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Darrell Porter's 1,369.
- Who drove in more runs? Gary Carter, with 1,225 to Darrell Porter's 826.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Gary Carter, with 14,141 career PIV to Darrell Porter's 10,538.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Gary Carter
Darrell Porter
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Gary Carter and Darrell Porter. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Carter | Darrell Porter |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,296 | 1,782 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,971 | 5,539 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,025 | 765 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,092 | 1,369 |
| Doubles | Leads: 371 | 237 |
| Triples | 31 | Leads: 48 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 324 | 188 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,225 | 826 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 905 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 997 | 1,025 |
| Stolen Bases | 39 | 39 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .262 | .247 |
| On-Base % | .335 | Leads: .354 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .439 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .773 | .763 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Carter outpaces Darrell Porter 14,141 to 10,538 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 744 PIV per season to 620, across 19 seasons to 17. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Gary Carter — top 3 seasons by OPS
Darrell Porter — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gary Carter leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Darrell Porter owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gary Carter. PIV agrees: Gary Carter grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gary Carter and Darrell Porter careers compare
From 1974 through 1987, Gary Carter and Darrell Porter were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,296 games for Gary Carter and 1,782 for Darrell Porter across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Darrell Porter's edges on the table are triples (48 to 31), walks (905 to 848), and on-base percentage (.354 to .335). Gary Carter struck out more than walked (997 to 848); Darrell Porter struck out more than walked (1,025 to 905). On the peak-season lists, Gary Carter's best year is 1982 at .890 OPS and Darrell Porter's is 1979 at .905 OPS; Darrell Porter has the stronger single season.
Gary Carter vs Darrell Porter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Carter or Darrell Porter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gary Carter leads Darrell Porter in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Gary Carter or Darrell Porter hit more home runs?
- Gary Carter, with 324 to Darrell Porter's 188.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gary Carter, with .773 to Darrell Porter's .763.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Gary Carter, with .262 to Darrell Porter's .247.
- Who had more hits?
- Gary Carter, with 2,092 to Darrell Porter's 1,369.